Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports

Engine complaints

29 reports

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Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2026

Engine

Weber road auto service replaced the engine using county PRC and out-of-pocket funds, and the newly installed used engine has an active engine oil cooler leak, creating an immediate vehicle fire and sudden engine stalling hazard. Also there’s a leak at the ac compressor, condenser and coupler valves. This was discovered by Bucke…

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NHTSA ODI #11753438

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2026

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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The turbo in my vehicle has a check engine light come on and than the engine does no act right. The repair shop that looked at car stated that the manufacture knows this is a known issue and they have not made a recall as several cars my year range has this going on. If this is a known issue why is there no recall. I worked had for my car and I can not afford the repair of a know issues with the turbo as it cost a lot and I should not have to cover this as it is apparent this is a manufacture defect that is known. It puts me as risk as the car is not preforming properly and it jumps and does not go properly when it has the issue arise. I will get hit for not going after I come to a stop and will not accelerate properly. This issue appeared 2 months after I purchased the car and I took it to a shop who told me he has tried to contact Buick to cover the repairs for others and gets no where. I think that the manufacture knows and will not repair something that is not the owners fault but there shafty part and they know this as it was a recall in other years of my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11746663

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2025

Engine

check engine light came onforP0299 code and heard that there's a lot of vehicles with turbos having this problem

NHTSA ODI #11679703

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2025

Engine

Leaking oil from oil coolant pipe under car and timing chain or belt gasket blowing oil.i have seen on Google in 2016 a stop update on 2015 had issue with the s02ame problem.

NHTSA ODI #11639035

86,600 miles · Aug 29, 2024

EnginePower Train

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The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and jerking while attempting to accelerate while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was informed about the failure and confirmed there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 86,600.

NHTSA ODI #11611564

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2024

Engine

Massive coolant leak. Been happening on and off since I bought the car in nov2019. Taken to several shops and have had replacement done and it goes right back to leaking. This time the shop believes it's leaking into the engine itself.

NHTSA ODI #11571192

Mileage unknown · Nov 11, 2023

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemSuspension

It’s it’s firing and shaking, and I have kept up on the oil changes. It’s a lot of money

NHTSA ODI #11554626

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2023

Engine

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It seems like the 2015 Buick Encores are having a lot of the same issues. I do not see a recall for any of these issues. 1. loss of power when trying to accelerate. This has almost caused an accident for me. I had plenty of time to pull out, but my car wouldn't speed up. Thankfully the car coming up noticed I was having issues and slowed down. This also may affect the performance and fuel efficiency of the vehicle. No warning lights came on. It eventually corrected itself and I was able to accelerate. This has been an ongoing issue. Nobody seems to know what is causing this or how to fix it. 2. I start my car and put it into gear, and it shakes like it wants to stall. I quickly put it back into park and wait a few minutes before putting it back into gear. It also does this while I am waiting at lights at intersections. That is very concerning because if i stall mid intersection this could cause and accident and or injury to me or other motorists. No lights appear when this happens. Again, nobody knows why it does this or how to correct it. 3. Back of my car stared chipping paint for no reason. There was no trauma to cause this to occur. Apparently, this is another common issue with this car. I've read that there have been lawsuits against the company for using paint similar to what this is doing. 3. I had to replace my engine under two years of having it. It was still under warranty at the time, but I hadn't had the car very long at all.

NHTSA ODI #11549826

Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2023

EnginePower Train

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The turbocharger on my car is failing and had a verified check engine light code PO299. The car is a 2015 with low miles, only 53k. This is an obvious manufacturer defect/defective product with an estimated cost of $1500.00 to replace, according to an ASE independent auto shop I use for all my vehicles. The car is unfortunately not under any warranty anymore, to my knowledge. There is no recall on this part but online on Buick forums and other credible sites, you will find owners of the same exact car reporting independently, the same failing part issues. I am the second owner of this car and bought it used in 2021 from Carmax. Since then, I have spent $$$ to fix random necessary repairs that are defects of the car but not on recall. Recently, the ac went out and that was over $500 alone. Prior to that an 02 sensor and sparkplug went out, etc. I want GM to reimburse me for the repair cost of the failing turbocharger on this low mileage vehicle as it is without a doubt, a manufacturer defect needing repair to prevent the engine from failure and a total loss! I contacted a GM/Buick agent and formal complaint and request for reimbursement. I am now waiting for up to two days for a "senior agent," to contact me back and discuss further options, if any. Until then, I am without a car with two kids at home and this defect is unsafe and a financial burden to me and my family. This is a known issue on this vehicle model and should be covered under a recall from GM!

NHTSA ODI #11532768

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2023

Engine

The PVC valve was frozen and leaked oil everywhere. I was told by a mechanic at my dealership that it is a known issue. They want $3000 to install a heater unit.

NHTSA ODI #11505584

Official recalls

17V437000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Jul 10, 2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Air Bags:frontal

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

16V651000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Sep 8, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Air Bags:frontal

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

15V162000 · Equipment:other:labels

Mar 20, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured October 13, 2014, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles have tire placards that do not provide the rim size information for the front or rear wheels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the label is missing front and rear rim size information, the owner may replace the rims with ones that are an incorrect size, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will send owners a corrected label, free of charge. The recall April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15166.

15V146000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 13, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured November 27, 2014, to February 24, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured November 18, 2014, to February 17, 2015. The steering column assembly housing may contact the power steering printed circuit board causing the circuit board to wear.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The circuit board wear may cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15168.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.